Developing Independent Learning Skills

1. Developing Independent Learning Skills St Margaret’s Academy Keith Varty

2. What is independent learning? Identifying their own “needs-to-know” Searching for relevant information and gaining knowledge on their own Learning on their own with minimum supervision Actively seeking ways to solve their own problems and difficulties Assessing their own learning to see if their needs-to-know are met

3. Conditions Required Goals Enthusiasm and interest Confidence of success Adequate pre-existing knowledge Skills Availability of resources Feedback Information about course requirements, expectations, learning environment, etc.

4. Benefits • Improved academic performance • Increased motivation and confidence • Enables teachers to differentiate tasks • Better utilize class-contact time • Promote active student learning • Help students learn how to learn • Encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning • Prepare students for lifelong learning

5. The Dangers Anxiety and worry Potentially de-motivating if students are not supported Negative experience of learning Students lose confidence in self learning Poor learning outcome Poor student evaluation

6. Promoting independent learning: Is Not simply abandoning “lessons” and telling students to learn on their own placing the responsibility for learning entirely on the students Is About a different way of helping students learn facilitating and supporting students to learn increasingly on their own

7. Independent Learning - Swimming

8. Independent Learning - Swimming

9. Independent Learning - Swimming

10. Independent Learning - Swimming

11. Key Elements • Shift of responsibility for learning process • Students should understand their learning • Students should be motivated to learn • Students should collaborate with teachers to structure their learning • Involves: • planning • self-monitoring and self-motivation • controlling the pace and direction of work • evaluation

12. Helping students succeed Prepare students adequately: Help student acquire independent learning skills Match tasks with preparedness of students Develop students’ confidence of success: Provide positive reinforcements Show examples of good work by fellow students Provide encouragement and support

13. Skills that student’s need • Reason logically • Construct informal rules for solving problems • Listening and remembering • Applying previously learned knowledge • Reflect, monitor and evaluate progress via self-assessment • Manage feelings • Self-motivate

14. How teachers promote independent learning • Scaffolding • Self-monitoring • Setting goals • Receiving feedback • Being a positive role model • Effective communication focussed on learning • Effective feedback that encourages reflection

15. How teachers promote independent learning • Opportunities for easy assessment • Measurement of self-directed learning • Increase the speed of access to information • Provides a medium for teacher pupil interaction

16. Teaching approaches for promoting independent learning Guided self-study Problem-solving exercises in lectures Student presentations and student-led seminars Peer teaching Student-centred assessment Project work Learning contracts Dissertation

17. How schools promote independent learning • Support for teachers • Study support • Students voluntarily choose their learning activities and set goals • Empower students to use self-regulation to develop learning strategies • Student voice to own approaches to learning